Chevy & GMC Vans

The latest addition....

The "New" Astro - yet unnamed
2000 LS package 82,155 miles
(purchased May 2013)



The "old" Astro, a.k.a. - The Green Booger
1997 base package (sold May, 2011)

2003 AWD with Overland 2 inch lift, front recovery hooks, front light bar, rear Hellwig 7534 sway bar, aux trans cooler, aux power steering cooler, Manik nerf bar, dodge caravan bench seats,

Astrophysics 2003 AWD

Over the last 50 years, I HAVE camperised several vans,
BUT ....
now that I am not as nimble and flexible as I once was,
and now that my definition of "travelling light" includes a 6" thick memory foam mattress
I need more space.

PLUS,
I got tired of working inside the rounded compound curve structures.

SO,
my solution is to simply hack off the back of an AWD Safari van, and build a simple rectangular box ... aka ... a CLASS C mini motorhome.

The old/discontinued factory built TIGER Astro/Safari motorhome conversions were my inspiration,
but I wanted some thing a bit lighter, simpler, and much sturdier for "OVERLANDING' ...
or at the least, for long trips down roads less travelled.

So here is my interpretation of an AWD "home for wayward boys".

"NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST"

Had a 20% off REI member coupon. Ordered one of the Rola Dart folding hitch mount luggage trays and installed on my 2003 AWD Astro.
The Rola is well made. Also, put a pyramid shaped plastic Dee Zee trailer box in the center of the Rola so I could still swing open dutch doors of Astro.
The Rola tray is about 3/4" to high at the side wall. Bummer but the hatch still opens.

AP

I used Chevy Van side marker light with reflectors in the Rola optional tail light tray.

I may try to modify the tray side rail or the mounting flange to 2x2" draw bar to lower the tray side rail by about 1" so dutch doors can swing open.
Although , when I look at VW vanagon or WEstfalia campers, they don't even have dutch barn doors, just a small hatch.
Astro is close to the perfect practical vehicle.

AP

Heres a pic of my van the other day when It helped my buddy go out to the bush and recover the motorbike he crashed in the woods the day before while trying to keep up with me on a fast steep fun trail. He went off the dirt road at a good speed and it was a steep drop down into the trees. I linked to a couple pics on FB below. You can barely see his bike way down there. I had to double him out of the woods and go back with a winch to get the bike. We needed 80 feet of winch cable to pull it back up to the road. KLR and Astrosafari to the rescue.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/l/ ... 4530_o.jpg
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... 3504_o.jpg

One Hella Astro van.

My 92 V8-350 (Pompano Beach, Fl)


My 2000 AWD Lifted (Sunshine Key, Fl)


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Mag wheels too already conversion week after we bought

So good to see this old thread reopened, I will post my 1994 Astro with a picture taken recently. My Astro just turned over 118,000 miles and is my daily driver.